A Non-Governmental Organisation, Prisoners Rehabilitation and Welfare Action, said it had treated and rehabilitated 65 mentally sick inmates of Enugu, Nsukka and Orji River Prisons in Enugu State. This was contained in a statement signed by Alhaji Abdulkadir Ibrahim, Media Officer of the NGO, in Abuja on Friday. Ibrahim stated that 69 prisoners were handed over to the organisation for rehabilitation after a visit to the prisons by the Chief Judge and other High Court Judges of the state.
According to him, the Executive Director of PRAWA, Dr. Uju Agomoh, said 65 of them were treated at Psychiatric hospitals and taught various vocational and technical skills to become self-employed. “They have since been reunited with their families and reintegrated into the society, while the remaining four are still receiving medical attention at the hospital,” he said. He quoted Agomoh as saying that it was illegal to detain a mentally sick person or imprison those referred to as “civil lunatics”, instead, they should be given medical attention first.
The media officer said all statutorily processes should be followed in handling cases involving mentally challenged suspected criminals. He said that PRAWA had also started a training programme on “Alternative to Violence” at some Nigerian prisons for the Inmates, Welfare Officers, Psychologists and other Wardens. He said the pilot programme of the project took off in July at Enugu, Nsukka and Orji River Prisons in Enugu State, and later at Kurmawa prison in Kano State, and Calabar prison in Cross River. “The programme is being conducted by PRAWA in conjunction with another NGO called Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) Nigeria and the Nigerian Prisons Service. “It is aimed at inculcating the virtues of peaceful coexistence and harmonious relationship on the prison inmates aimed at reforming them to become peaceful and industrious citizens after their jail terms,” Ibrahim said. He also stated that the prison officials attending the programme would continue with the training among themselves and the inmates. He said that Agomoh and the National Coordinator of AVP, Iyke Chiemeka, decried the increase of crime in Nigeria particularly among the Youths. The media officer said that they reiterated the commitment of their respective organisations to partner with the authorities to prevent, reduce and eradicate all forms of violence in the society.
Follow The Eagle Online Channel on WhatsApp
